Don't look now, but Oakland got two huge homers from Cespedes and Reddick in the bottom of the 8th, bringing them 1.5 games behind the Rangers.

Texas is currently playing the second game of a doubleheader against the Angels, and are down 4-3 early. Texas ends the season with a three game set at...Oakland. And the Angels are only two games back in the wild card, too.

Baltimore and New York are still tied for first--Orioles go to Tampa for the last series of the year, though, whereas the Yankees host Boston.

Looks like we could see at least one tiebreaker on Thursday to determine who wins the division and who is subjected to the play-in game.

"Genius is not replicable. Inspiration, though, is contagious, and multiform — and even just to see, close up, power and aggression made vulnerable to beauty is to feel inspired and (in a fleeting, mortal way) reconciled."
--David Foster Wallace, () "Roger Federer as Religious Experience"

One thing I hadn't realized in all of this is that Jim Thome is on the Orioles. I mean, I knew he was, but I had forgotten. Anyway, maybe this is finally Thome's chance to get that ring. The O's are playing solid baseball right now. Since the Sox appear to be on the verge of elimination, at least that will give me something to watch for in the playoffs.

One thing I hadn't realized in all of this is that Jim Thome is on the Orioles. I mean, I knew he was, but I had forgotten. Anyway, maybe this is finally Thome's chance to get that ring. The O's are playing solid baseball right now. Since the Sox appear to be on the verge of elimination, at least that will give me something to watch for in the playoffs.

Yeah, Thome was on the DL for quite a while and just came back recently. I'll be rooting for the Orioles myself as I'd like to see Big Jim get that ring.

James Shields set a franchise record with 15 K's, but the O's Miguel Gonzalez was better and Baltimore survived 1-0. There was hope for them in the Bronx, but Boston blew a 3-1 lead in the 9th and the Yankees won in extras, 4-3. New York will take a one-game lead into the final day.

Out west, the Rangers and A's are directly fighting for the AL West. Oakland cut the lead down to 1 game last night in a 4-3 win, as the team celebrated on the field when they clinched a playoff spot. They just took a 2-1 lead in the 5th inning; if they prevail tonight the division will be tied.

James Shields set a franchise record with 15 K's, but the O's Miguel Gonzalez was better and Baltimore survived 1-0. There was hope for them in the Bronx, but Boston blew a 3-1 lead in the 9th and the Yankees won in extras, 4-3. New York will take a one-game lead into the final day.

Out west, the Rangers and A's are directly fighting for the AL West. Oakland cut the lead down to 1 game last night in a 4-3 win, as the team celebrated on the field when they clinched a playoff spot. They just took a 2-1 lead in the 5th inning; if they prevail tonight the division will be tied.

The A's making the playoffs is truly incredible. They could win the division tomorrow if they pull it out tonight! Wow!

MLB could be look at ties for the AL East, AL West and NL Wild Card. This almost as exciting as last year was.

The American League couldn't have worked out better for baseball unless the Sox had picked it up and managed to tie Tigers at the end. As it is,the postseason teams are set, and the games are just setting up who goes into what amounts to a singel-elimination losers' bracket. A series of playoff games to get to the postseason, even get to the play-in game to get to the postseason, is the ultimate way to end the six-month regular season.

The A's and Rangers are playing in what amounts to a playoff game with the loser going into single-elimination. A playoff game between the Orioles and Yankees with the losing facing a single elimination game would end the season with three playoff games before the division series begin.

By contrast, the only race in the National League for weeks has been for the second wild card play-in berth, and that was settled in Game 161 with the new NL money team losing and being eliminated. The American League finish is what baseball would like to see every year.

I would love to see the wild card play-in game come down to the Yankees and Rangers, two teams that were expected to easily win their respective divisions, although the Red Sox and Angels were supposed to be in the mix. Sadly, one of them would win. I've come to hate the Yankees and Rangers and even the Tigers more than the A's, and that is saying a lot. And I don't like the Orioles. Unfortunately, one of those teams is going to get to the World Series.